Accommodation

Contact our offices in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

In certain circumstances, a participant’s weekly security deposit deduction may be increased. The following are possible reasons for an increase. This should be considered a guide, not a comprehensive list:

• Damages to the apartment

• Damages to the apartment complex property

• Malicious damages to Workaway provided items

• Abuse of alcohol

• Smoking in the apartments

• Excessive noisemaking within the apartment complex

• Holding a party in the apartment

• Police being called to the apartment for a noise complaint

The increase in security deposit deduction is intended to have the following effects:

• Makes provision for the increased risk of repair expenses for the apartment

• Encourages changes to negative participant behaviours

Standard security deposit is $5 per week. Should your security deposit need to be increased, the total amount will vary between $10 up to a maximum of $175 per week and will remain in effect for the remainder of the season.

Please note that serious or repetitive housing issues may result in eviction. This is an unpleasant last resort which can be avoided with some common sense and courtesy toward others.

You may be required to change apartments, and possibly flatmates, during the course of the season. This is most likely to happen closer to the end of the season as participants depart for their home country. You will be given sufficient notice with the opportunity to discuss which apartment you will move to.

Participants may be consolidated into fewer apartments with vacant apartments being turned back to the apartment complex management.

Please remain positive at all times and assist your housing manager with your relocation.

In accordance with Workaway International’s policy, smoking in the apartments is STRICTLY forbidden. If anyone smokes in your apartment, all occupants of said apartment will be subject to an increase in security deposit. Should your roommates not respect this rule, please inform your housing manager.

At certain complexes you may be permitted to smoke on your patio, balcony, or outdoors. Please make sure that you dispose of cigarette butts in a safe manner. Do not throw butts on the ground or over the balcony. Some apartment complexes are “Smoke Free”. Your housing manager will explain to you where you can and cannot smoke within your complex.

As residents, you are entitled to use the common areas and facilities at your complex. Each apartment complex has its own rules and regulations that participants will need to abide by. Please read these rules carefully as fines and/or revocation privileges may be imposed by the complex if rules are not followed.

All participants living in an apartment are responsible for all activities within the apartment. This includes and is not limited to underage drinking, drug use and damage to property. Parties in the apartments invariably result in noise complaints from neighbours and damage to the apartment and its contents. Workaway International prohibits partying in the apartments and recommends that all parties be held at local restaurants, bars or nightclubs. Underage drinking is against the law and your housing manager may contact the local police department if made aware that this is occurring.

If you are aware of an upcoming party in your apartment you should call your housing manager immediately to inform her/him of the problem. Please remember that the person hosting the party has shown a lack of respect to his/her flatmates by knowingly breaking the rules.

If your apartment chooses to ignore Workaway’s rules and hosts a party, everyone present as well as all unit occupants are subject to a security deposit increase to be determined by the housing manager.

If police are dispatched as a result of a party, the offending apartment will be levied an additional increase which will stay in effect the entire season.

DO NOT GET DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN THE INCIDENT. Immediately call 911 and inform the police operator of the problem. Stay inside your apartment and wait for the police to knock on your door.

• A toilet plunger has been placed in each apartment. Please use it to try and unblock the toilet BEFORE reporting it to your housing manager

• NEVER flush feminine hygiene products, makeup wipes, paper towels, etc.

• Utilise the plunger that has been provided

Contact your housing manager. Information will be provided upon arrival.

Workaway International reserves the right to inspect apartments at any time over the course of the season. Participants will be notified prior to all scheduled inspections. The housing manager will give correction notices to the occupants of poorly maintained apartments. The occupants will have a stipulated period of time to rectify the situation. Should the occupants fail to correct the issues cited, each occupant’s refundable security deposit will be increased. Participants are entitled to request an apartment inspection at any time over the course of the season.

• If you leave the apartment for more than four hours during the day, set the thermostat to approximately 78 degrees. Do not turn the air conditioner off completely on hot days, as you will use more energy to re-cool the room when you return

• Set the thermostat to between 74 and 78 degrees for a comfortable setting while you are in the apartment

• Keep all windows and doors closed while the air conditioner is turned on

• Close the blinds in your apartment during the day to keep your apartment cooler

• Check and replace the filter in the air conditioner once a month. You may pick up a new filter, free of charge, at the leasing office

• Excessive electric bills, due to leaving doors and windows open while the air conditioner is running, may result in a written warning and a subsequent increase in occupant’s security deposits

You will need to report broken items such as irons, coffee makers, vacuums and phones to your housing manager who will have the item replaced. If there is a non-emergency maintenance issue or damage to the apartment, contact your housing manager. They will give notice to the apartment complex maintenance department. Typically, maintenance responds within 48 hours of problem reporting.

If the maintenance crew does not correct the problem within the stated 48 hours, please contact your housing manager who will follow up on the issue.

Note: damages deemed to be caused by the occupants will be charged to the person responsible. In the event that none of the occupants take responsibility for negligent damages, the whole apartment shall be charged.

Workaway International’s will do the utmost to ensure that participants live in a comfortable and harmonious environment. However, our program is designed to cater to adults who are assumed to be aware of the challenges of sharing an apartment with people who may have different value systems and lifestyle habits of their own. Under no circumstances are you allowed to change apartments without authorisation from your housing manager. Workaway International will honour the relocation requests of participants when possible.

Requests will not be entertained until all participants from a particular club have arrived. Participants are asked to bear in mind that there are a limited number of beds available and that 100% occupancy may be a limiting factor. Participants will not be required to share a bedroom with a member of the opposite sex unless it has been requested by both roommates. Most of the apartments will be co-ed, however.

Please note that the ACCOMMODATION FORMS that you completed prior to departing from your home country serve as a request form and is not a guaranteed assignment.

Loud or boisterous conduct causing a condition that would disturb the peace and enjoyment of other residents is prohibited. By law, quiet hours are between 10pm and 7am. Violations of this noise ordinance are often reported to police or local officials. Be considerate of your neighbours at ALL times including when you are gathered and waiting for transport to work.

If your neighbour is causing the issue, do not directly confront them. Call the apartment complex office to report the problem. If the noise continues after you have requested quiet, please call 911 and inform your housing manager of the problem as soon as possible.

If a participant is no longer employed he/she is required, by law, to leave the United States. Workaway International will endeavour to assist the individual by booking his/her return flight to his/her home country. Should this person choose to stay within the United States, he/she is no longer entitled to utilise the appointed accommodation.

Participants found to be housing such a person may be expelled from the program or evicted from the housing, forfeiting all security deposits paid up until that date.

Do not write your apartment number on your keyring. Whenever you leave your apartment, be sure you have your house keys and ID with you. In the event that you lock yourself out of your apartment, do not go to the leasing office. Contact your housing manager for access to your apartment. One gym entry key or access card is provided to each apartment. You may contact the leasing office and purchase additional keys at your expense. Access cards are numbered and allocated to a specific apartment. Do not swap or lend your card to others, if they lose your card, you will be charged $50.

The final housing inspection of your apartment will take place once all residents have departed and all rental furniture has been removed. The inspection will be conducted by the apartment complex manager and your housing manager. Photographs will be taken of each apartment during this process. If the apartment needs to be professionally cleaned, the housing manager will arrange for cleaning services and the charges will be deducted from everyone’s security deposit. Each apartment will be provided with detailed cleaning instructions. You may request a walkthrough prior to final inspection.

Once all damage reports have been received, the accounting department will calculate housing security deposit refunds. The cost of cleaning and/or damages will be deducted from this deposit prior to refund.

Make sure that you keep your USA bank account open during the summer months, as the security deposit refunds may be directly deposited into your account, sent via check to the recruitment office in your home country, or mailed to your new USA address. Expect refund payments to be issued during the summer months.

For many of you, this may be the first time you have had to share a room with others. Once you have moved into your new apartment we suggest that you establish some boundaries with your roommate/flatmates. It’s better to start sooner rather than later. Sit down together to outline some boundaries that will help make living with each other as pleasant as possible. It’s a good idea to discuss schedules so you know who has to get up early or who might be coming home later during the evening. It’s also helpful to create some kind of policy about visitors. Establish a plan to let one another know ahead of time when you are having a friend come to visit. It’s also important that your visitors are polite to your roommate/flatmates. By the same token, be polite to your roommate/flatmate’s visitors.

Another issue you’ll want to address is room upkeep, because you’re going to be responsible for cleaning a shared living space. Work out a cleaning schedule so nobody gets stuck doing all the chores. Once you’ve agreed on a schedule, print some copies and post them in the apartment as a reminder for you and your roommate/flatmates. If you feel the schedule needs to be modified, don’t be afraid to speak up. Planning ahead will help immensely in making your housing experience a successful one. It is also a good idea to decide about noise in the apartment. Discuss and plan for quiet time as well as active time with your roommate/flatmates up front.

Remember RESPECTING your roommate/flatmates, their space and personal property will encourage them to do the same for you. Your housing manager is always available to help you resolve any roommate/flatmates issues.

Your housing manager must be contacted as soon as possible for the following emergency maintenance situations:

• Fire/smoke

• Water leaks

• Mold

• Electrical problems

• Airconditioner malfunctions

• Telephone faults

VERY IMPORTANT: Please make sure you shut off the water if your toilet, dishwasher or washing machine is overflowing. Failure to do so could result in unnecessary property damages. Information regarding location for shut-offs is posted prominently in each apartment.

In compliance with the state and local fire codes bicycles, wagons, carts, or any other items are not to be left at the entrances, in breezeways, or in hallways at any time. Shopping carts from local stores are forbidden in the community. Removal of carts from a shopping centres is against the law and may result in arrest and fines.

Bicycles must be stored on a bicycle rack or inside the apartment. Do not store bicycles in any other area, including balconies or patios. Apartment complex management can confiscate bicycles that are improperly stored.

The community has trash dumpsters conveniently located for your use. You are responsible for removing all waste from your apartment and depositing it into the dumpster container. Trash, bags, boxes, furniture, and equipment may not be stored in the common areas at any time. Do not store trash on your balcony or patio as this invites unwelcome rodents and is unsightly and unsanitary. The apartment complex may fine you should you leave trash on your balcony or outside your front door.

Your community may have convenient “Valet Trash” service where the trash is picked up outside your apartment door each evening. All trash must be in a sealed trash bag and placed outside your door after 6pm. You may not leave trash outside your unit in the morning, as it will not be collected until later that night.

If you see mold ANYWHERE in your apartment, you must report it to your housing manager immediately.

The apartment and surrounding areas should be kept in good and sanitary condition. Cigarette butts, beer cans, bottles, and all other trash must be placed in designated trash receptacles. Articles of clothing, towels, and mats cannot be hung from balconies, banisters, or in windows. Only plastic patio furniture may be kept on balconies and patios.

Contact your housing manager should you need assistance registering a car or motorbike. Any vehicle without a current registration will be towed at your expense. Ensure that you obey community speed limits. Do not wash your car on apartment complex property unless there is a designated “car wash” area. Repair or maintenance of vehicles on apartment complex property is prohibited.

Participants no longer employed by the program are required by law to leave the United States of America. Workaway will assist the individual by booking their return flight to their home country. Should this person choose to stay in the United States illegally, they are no longer entitled to utilise housing. Participants found to be assisting any such person may be expelled from the program or evicted from the appointed accommodation.

• No lifeguard is on duty, swim at your own risk

• Glassware of any kind is not permitted in the pool area

• Alcoholic beverages are not permitted in the pool area

• Keep the pool and recreational areas clean and trash-free. Dispose of any trash in the proper containers

• Guests must be accompanied by the resident

• Listening to music requires the use of headphones

• No rafts, tubes, nor floats are permitted in the pool

• No obscene language, screaming, nor yelling in the pool or recreational areas

• Proper attire must be worn at all times

• Running, ball sports, and rough play are forbidden

• No wheeled vehicles are permitted in the pool area

• Observe pool closing times. NIGHT ACCESS TO THE POOL AREA IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN

• Shirts and shoes must be worn in the gym and other recreational areas

• No smoking in the gym and other recreational areas

• No loitering is permitted

• No equipment shall be removed from the fitness center

• Management reserves the right to refuse entry or to revoke privileges of anyone who violates policy